Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Summary

This position is located within the Central Alabama Veteran's Healthcare System's Mental Health Service Line. Within Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) recovery-oriented clinical vocational rehabilitation services are provided as part of targeted Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) and Residential programs that offer an array of vocational, educational, training, employment, and therapeutic approaches to stabilization for achievement of vocational goals and community reintegration.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to the following, Serves as an entry or journey level Rehabilitation Counselor providing personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions, and case coordination services. Uses evidence informed and evidence-based modalities to aid Veterans with severe disabilities, such as physical, psychosocial, psychological, or neurological barriers, integrate successfully into the community. Serves Veterans who have myriad barriers to overcome and achieve competitive employment, educational, and independent living goals. Uses effective counseling skills to promote self-awareness, adjustment to disability, enhanced job retention and successful integration to the community. Conduct biopsychosocial assessments using medical records pertinent disabiIity documentation observation and interviews with Veterans and their support systems to generate personal, vocational, and educational histories. SeIects, administers, and interprets vocational and other psychometric instruments to evaIuate abiIities, transferrabIe skilIs, functionaI capacity, Iabor marketcanaIyses, aptitudes, interests vaIues preferences and overaIl work resiIience and synthesize into an interpretive data report. Develop patient-centered treatment plans utilizing Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon, Realistic, and Time-based (SMART) goals and provides ongoing assessment of Veteran's progress. Communicates appropriateIy with community heaIthcare professionaIs to provide usefuI input to other team members and empIoyers concerning the Veteran and the famiIy's psychosociaI needs. UtiIizes knowIedge of the miIitary cuIture, miIitary transition to civiIian occupations, and specific factors and dynamics associated with Veterans particuIarIy combat Veterans to advise those who are returning to the community, and community-based work. Adheres to the professionaI rehabiIitation standards of the Joint Commission and Commission for Accreditation RehabiIitation FaciIities (CARF). Provide a variety of professional rehabilitation counseling services such as personal adjustment counseling, therapeutic rehabilitation interventions and case coordination services, utilizing evidence-informed and evidence-based modalities and professional counseling practices to aid Veterans with severe disabilities in achieving competitive employment and educational and independent living goals. Uses effective counseling skills to promote self-awareness, adjustment to disability, enhanced job retention and successful integration to the community. Conducts psychosocial assessments using medical records, pertinent disability documentation, observation and interviews with Veterans and their support systems to generate personal, vocational, and educational histories. Selects, administers, and interprets vocational and other psychometric instruments to evaluate abilities, transferrable skills, functional capacity, labor market analyses, aptitudes, interests, values, preferences, and overall work resilience and synthesize into an interpretive data report. Customizes vocational exploration activities to identify self-determined rehabilitation needs and goals. Administers Measurement Based Care instrument to track progress throughout treatment and adjust goals and services as needed. Consult with interdisciplinary teams to enhance coordination of care, ensure medical clearance, and provide for optimal timing of further interventions. Synthesize assessment information to identify barriers to employment and their vocational implications. Determine clinical need for and capacity to benefit from therapeutic and rehabilitation services to include work restoration/resilience treatment, transitional work placement and/or competitive employment, assistive technology, financial benefits counseling and potential benefits protections. Devises solutions to reduce and/or eliminate barriers and meet Veterans' placement needs which may require substantial modification to environmental or functional demands within a work setting. Provide psychoeducational and/or psychotherapeutic groups to facilitate effective job search skills, employer-desired soft skills, work and life skills fostering independence and recovery. Provides job development, customized employment, job carving, job coaching, job accommodation, advocacy, and adaptation services to both Veterans with severe disabilities and to educate and support employers. Uses marketing strategies to develop collaborative partnerships/Memorandums of Agreement within the VA and the local business community to enhance employment and/or work opportunities. Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm, 11:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Telework : Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement # : 52344F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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